A leftwing minority in the
Democratic Party (PD) led by former PD leader Pier Luigi Bersani
and former House whip Roberto Speranza said Tuesday they had
effectively split from the centre-left group and would take no
part in further meetings or the party congress later this year.
The PD split has long been brewing and came to a head Sunday
when ex-premier Matteo Renzi quit as leader to force a fast
track to a congress, ignoring rebels' pleas for a longer
process. Bersani, Speranza and others have long criticised
Renzi's shifting the party towards the centre and his allegedly
high-handed treatment of dissenting voices. More recently, they
have criticised his alleged lack of reflection after a crushing
December defeat in a Constitutional reform referendum. According
to pollsters the splinter group would get between 5% and 8% in a
future general election. The rebels have said they will continue
to back Premier Paolo Gentiloni, a PD member close to Renzi.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA